John Leguizamo Told Colbert ‘Nobody Can Tell Me I’m Not American’

Credit: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/ YouTube

“I’m an American. I’m so American it hurts.”

Emmy-winning actor John Leguizamo was on Stephen Colbert last week to talk about his one-man show, “Latin History for Morons,” currently running on Broadway. No stranger to the Broadway stage, with critically acclaimed one-man shows “Freak,” “Sexaholic” and “Ghetto Klown” under his belt, Leguizamo talked about what inspired him to do a show specifically about Latin History.

Recounting the days when his family moved to Jackson Heights, Queens, one of the most racially diverse neighborhoods in the country, Leguizamo talked about growing up Latino in that community.

“You’re playing stoop ball with your friends, or off-the-wall with your friends and all of a sudden you beat them,” he recounts. “And then they say ‘get out of my country’ and I didn’t know what to say back.”

However, he felt vindicated after doing the research for his show and discovering the many contributions Latinos have made in America dating back more than two centuries.

“I felt like, I’m an American,” he says. “I’m so American it hurts.”

Something he found in his research that impacted his sense of patriotism was learning that Latinos have fought in every war since the founding of the United States. He also found that Latinos have been the most decorated minority in each of those wars.

“How incredible is that?” he told Colbert. While listing off the wars that Latinos have fought in, he doubled down saying, “Nobody can tell me I’m not American. Nuh-uh.”

Check out the interview to find out how he feels about Trump as well, calling him “the enima of this country” who he says is “going to release all the misogyny, homophobia and racism out of the anus of America.” The man has a way with words.